


I Might Shot You Through The Heart (and blame you for it)

by The_Rose



Category: Warcraft - All Media Types, World of Warcraft
Genre: Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Giveaway fic, Lots of guns mention, Medical scene, Modern AU, lots of swearing, mafia!au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:54:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 17,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25208047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Rose/pseuds/The_Rose
Summary: The city is divided between two mafias.On one side, the Illidari led by Illidan.On the other, the Wardens and Maiev Shadowsong.But a bigger threat is lurking in the shadows and they might need to work together.
Relationships: Maiev Shadowsong/Illidan Stormrage
Comments: 4
Kudos: 11





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Plutonium](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Plutonium/gifts).



> Hi! 
> 
> Back at the beginning of the year, I reached 1000 kudos in total here on AO3 and I decided to do a giveaway. Here's the result and I hope you will like it ;)
> 
> It should have been a one-shot, but as I reached almost 18k words, I decided that for the publishing, it'll be in better divided in two chapters. If you are really fast when you clicked on this, there might be the second chapter missing but don't worry, by the time you'll finish the reading, it'll be up!
> 
> Enjoy!

The gun was pressing against the forehead.

The knife against the throat had a pearl of blood shining on it.

They were both smiling.

“My dear Maiev, why don’t you move that knife away?”

“Shut up Illidan, take back your gun first,” she replied.

With her free hand, she was grabbing his shirt, pulling him closer to her. Meanwhile, he had his own free hand over her neck to keep her head steady. The empty building echoed with the distant sounds of fighting and steps coming closer. Outside, the faint sounds of cars passing by were accompanying the headlights going through the broken windows, illuminating the two bosses that were threatening each other.

“You know you don’t stand a chance,” smiled Illidan. “My Illidari took over the buildings, and you are alone.”

“That’s what you think,” she replied, getting her face closer to him despite the gun. “I thought you knew that the Wardens were an invisible task force.”

“Don’t delude yourself Shadowsong, call your little gang anything that you want, you are still a gang like all of those in the city.”

“I thought you were considering yourself a mafia’s boss,” she smirked.

“I am. Your little gang is nothing next to mine.”

“My knife begs to differ,” she said, slowly pushing said object on his throat.

“Well, tell your knife to get away and I’ll spare your life.”

“Really funny Illidan,” she dryly replied. “Be a man instead and take your gun away from my head.”

“And how would it make me a man?”

“By being polite, courteous, and respectful of women,” she smiled at him.

“You’re not a woman, you’re a beast, Shadowsong.”

“And you, you’re a monster.”

Steps came in closer, running through the stairs of the abandoned buildings. The sound echoing as more people joined in. In her pocket, Maiev’s phone vibrated twice before stopping completely, and she winced at the sensation. Bad news incoming. Soon, the sound of people running through the building, along with a single gunshot, could be heard next to them.

“Boss?!” A masculine voice shouted, far from them, but close enough. “Where are you?”

Maiev sighed loudly. It couldn’t be one of the Wardens as it was a man, and it could only mean one thing: Illidan had won. If the Illidari were joining them, he and Illidan would either kill her right away, or make her a prisoner, and she couldn’t let it happen. She had to run away and concede the victory to the man. Even if it wasn’t meaning that it would always happen like that. No, she wasn’t going to give him the victory every time.

“Well, looks like the situation isn’t at my advantage,” she told him, slowly loosening her hold against his throat. “So, I’ll let you live for tonight.”

He smiled as he also moved his guns slightly away from her forehead, convinced that he would leave with a prisoner, and a willing one.

“I’m glad we got an arrangement,” he replied.

She smiled back, but he saw the sparks in her eyes too late.

In the span of a second, Maiev sheathed back her knife on her belt, and following it, she grabbed his arm who was still holding the gun and twisted it. The weapon felt on the ground, but Illidan barely had the time to register it, that Maiev strengthened her hold over his arm, and as she turned around, she threw him over her shoulders, sending him on the floor. Then, she kicked the remnants of the broken windows and jumped out, using the building’s architecture to get down safely.

“Boss, are you alright?” Yelled Jace as he opened the door and saw Illidan on the floor, rubbing the arm Maiev had grabbed.

“I’ll be alright,” he groaned as he got up. “You missed Mama Warden.”

Jace stepped back at the mention of Maiev and immediately bowed in front of Illidan.

“I’m sorry Boss, we should have intervened earlier.”

“Don’t worry,” Illidan chuckled. “I’m alive. So is she.”

He quickly glanced at the windows, realizing that he wouldn’t do something as dangerous, yet it didn’t bother Maiev in the slightest. It was impressive, and probably one of the reasons he decided to not ask anyone on her tracks. Finding her by himself would be way more satisfying, and that thought made him smile.

“We shouldn’t hang around! Cops have been spotted coming here,” said Jace. “We got what we wanted; we can leave.”

“Great, let’s go!”

As the Illidari left the building, the sirens finally stopped as the cars parked in front of the building. The commissioner, Cordana Felsong, was the first one to get out of the car and she immediately gave orders to everyone else to capture anyone that would still be inside. Illidan frowned as he saw her, realizing that even if Maiev had stayed, and that they hadn’t left in time, she would have been free. Cordana was one of her dogs and she would obey any orders the woman would give. Maybe it was the reason why Maiev was there, and that cops showed up that fast.

Illidan shook his head and stayed in the car, waiting for the cops to leave the place, or at least be distracted enough so he could leave without being stopped.

The city was divided between different mafia, but the two most important were the Wardens and the Illidari.

Illidan Stormrage, a young man that had been thrown out of his house after his father discovered how deep his meddling with delinquency was, at the dawn of the adulthood, quickly gained sympathy from other homeless teenagers and soon enough, the Illidari were created. At first a little street gang, they quickly rose into powers as Illidan got a hold in politics as he became friends with the mayor, Kael’thas Sunstrider. By promising him to be reelected every time thanks to the Illidari meddling, he had now a good grasp over the city and the Illidari were the oldest mafia to run into the city.

But it was without counting on Maiev Shadowsong. Former commissioner, she had spent almost all of her time trying to catch Illidan, using as much freedom that the police were allowed to do so. But as Illidan had the mayor in his pocket, Maiev was barely able to do anything without facing repercussions and it was annoying her. Finally, she realized she would never be able to catch Illidan by legal means and she took the decision to do it her own way. Appointing her second, Cordana, as the new commissioner, she went to create a group of vigilantes that would help her into her only objective, taking down Illidan Stormrage and his Illidari. But quickly, she realized that she was going to need more and more powers to do so, and soon, her Wardens became a fully organized mafia, rivaling with the Illidari. Meanwhile, she kept a grasp over Cordana and the police, not only making sure she would never end up in jail, but also to make sure Illidan would face the consequences of his actions. If she wasn’t killing him first.

Since, Illidan and Maiev were fighting constantly. Not only over the resources from the city, but also over the territory and most importantly, who will get rid of the others first. Unfortunately, they were of equal forces, and quickly, it had seemed that none of them would be able to take the advantage. But soon, they were going to realize that they concentrated on each other too much, and that it was going to be their downfall.

Maiev was enjoying her evening, reading a book as the television was making some background noises, a glass of wine in her hand. That day had been pretty calm despite that she had spent it all in a car, expecting Illidan to show up to a certain place as Cordana told her, but there had been no sign of the man at all from the day. So, she went back home and decided to have a calm evening.

As she turned the page of her book, her phone vibrated with a text notification and she quickly glanced at it. It was from Cordana, excusing herself from the false information but that apparently, it went through Kael’thas first, and that he probably changed it to protect his friend. Maiev winced at that text and sighed. She really should put her hand over the politics, but she still hadn’t found any good candidates to replace the current mayor. And trying to make him change his allegiance wouldn’t work, she had already tried. No, she needed someone new and that she could intimidate into submission.

She went through the list of all the people that could fit, but there was always a downside to each of them, and finally, she decided to wait for the next election, and then, she’ll see how she could rig it in favor of some unknown person that she would convince to work for her. It was still the best option if she wanted to trap Illidan.

Suddenly, heavy knocks on her door made her jump out of the couch. Grabbing a gun, she slowly approached it. She shouldn’t have visitors. Not only was this address completely unknown, but for a few trusted Wardens, and even in the rental agreement, her name was nowhere to be seen. It couldn’t be one of her lieutenants, or they would have warned her of their visit before knocking.

Maiev didn’t like it at all, especially that the knocks became even heavier and insistent.

Looking through the peephole, she saw a man, long black hair falling around his face and stuck with sweat. He was holding one of his arms and was desperately trying to knock on the door. But she had no doubts, it was Illidan himself. She swore out loud and opened the door, putting her gun right in front of her to keep some distance between her and him. And also, to be ready to fire first.

“What are you doing here?!” she growled, the gun pointed at his head.

“Please, help,” he only whispered.

He moved away his left arm that was holding the other, and suddenly, blood began to cascade from his right side, and he barely got to do anything, nor add anything that he fell on the ground, right at her feet. His chest was slowly rising, almost imperceptible, and Maiev knew at that moment, that if she wasn’t doing anything, he would die.

She swore louder and grabbed him, carrying him inside her house. Then, she dropped him on the floor of the living room and ripped out his shirt to bandage his chest. Quickly, the shirt was soaked in blood, but it was enough to give her some time. She ran to the hallway and grabbed her first aid kit, then, ran back to the living-room. Illidan was awfully pale and not moving at all.

Crouching next to him, she began to inspect his arms. Clearly, the one that had to shoot him was aiming at the heart, but either by luck, or by reflexes, Illidan dodged it, and the bullet went into the ribcage, but right at his side so no lung nor vital organs had been touched, and that he could have not been touched at all if he had been shot one inch further. His arms must have been stuck at his side when the bullet hit, as it was slightly damaged and bleeding, but not enough to be the source of death. So, she ripped off another piece of clothes and bandaged his arms, so it would stop bleeding, and finally, she looked at the ugliest part of the wound, the chest.

Thankfully, with how the bullet had hit him, she could see it, still stuck in his flesh right under the armpit, and she could have removed it with her fingers. But she knew better and took a clip to grab the bullet, and put it away. Then, she took a towel that she had taken with her, and removed the soaked shirt from his chest, and quickly used the towel to apply pressure on the wound and to stop the bleeding.

Illidan groaned out of pain.

“Shut up Illidan,” Maiev groaned back, trying to remove a sticky hair strand from her face.

She hated what she was doing. She had wanted him dead for so long, and now that he was dying, she was trying to save his life. It wasn’t really a mystery for her, as to why she was doing it, and she had no doubts that Illidan knew it too, explaining why he showed up at her doorstep, but she was still going to make him live hell once he would wake up. But the biggest mystery was not only how did he found her house, but also, what he did to be wounded like that. For the house, there was a possibility that he had just knocked at the first door he found, and that it happened to be hers, even if she was doubting it. But as to who had shot him, she had no idea. If it had been one of her Wardens, or the police, she would have been warned either way. So, who was it?

Illidan coughed and Maiev immediately immobilized him by putting a hand over his throat and pushing back on the floor. He stopped moving and she went back to her towel. Her hand was soaked with blood, but as she slowly removed the towel, she saw that the pressure had worked and that the bleeding was stopping. Removing entirely the towel, she grabbed another one and put it back on the wound, while she grabbed one of his hand, the one from the arm that hadn’t been injured, and put it over the towel.

“Hold that for me,” she said as he replied with a groan, but that he closed his hand in a fist.

Quickly, she ran to her kitchen and filled a pot with cold water, and she went back to the living room. Sitting next to him, she took some pieces of cotton and dampened them in the water, then, she removed the new towel to free the wound. Finally, she slowly put the wet cotton around the wound and began to clean it. After a good quarter, Maiev was done with the cleaning, and she sat on the ground, passing her arm over her forehead, trying to get away all the sweat from the stress. Illidan was looking a little better, even if the pain was carved on his face, and that he was also heavily sweating, alternating between being conscious and not.

After that small break, she went back to the wound on his arms and removed the bandages she did earlier. It had also stopped bleeding, and she was now able to clean it with some water. Now that both wounds were cleaned, not bleeding anymore, and that the bullet had been removed, she smiled mischievously and took the disinfectant from the kit. It was some alcohol with a really high level and, without caring about it, she poured it right onto the wounds. Illidan screamed and sat by reflexes, before falling back on the ground really fast.

“You bitch,” he muttered, sweating even more heavily. “I’m going to kill you.”

“Hey, I needed to disinfect the wounds,” she said, using her most innocent tone.

“I’ll make you pay for that.”

“Don’t die in my living-room then,” she groaned.

But Illidan didn’t have enough strength to reply anymore, he closed his eyes, and tried to breathe slowly, but his vision was already dark. Meanwhile, Maiev took new bandages and put it around his chest and arms, closing the wounds for good. She took a deep breath as she realized it was over and that she succeeded to take care of Illidan. By looking around, and seeing the bloody mess all around them, she groaned but she decided to take care of it later.

Illidan was now fully unconscious and it was bothering her, but she knew that forcing him awake was a bad idea, and instead, she grabbed him by the shoulders and dragged him to the couch. With a quick glance at her book and glass, she sighed as her idea of a nice evening had been crushed with Illidan’s intervention. Knowing he wouldn’t wake up before a few hours, she went to finally clean the mess of the operation.

Illidan woke up with a scream, and instinctively, he put a hand over the wounds. Then, he got a hand in his face as Maiev slapped him hard.

“What are you doing here?!” She asked once again, her hand still up in the air.

“Trying to not die,” he growled as he showed the bandages and rubbed his face where she hit him.

“But why are you here and not with your Illidari or at the hospital?!”

“You were the closer from where I’ve been wounded and if I had waited for the Illidari, I probably wouldn’t have made it. As for the hospital… You perfectly know why. As soon as my name would have been registered, your precious little police would have chained me to a bed,” he groaned.

“How did you know where to find me?” She asked, her hand ready to meet his face again.

He laughed loudly at that question.

“I followed you once. I wanted to know if I could explode your house without having any collateral damages. It surprises me that you haven’t noticed me that day.”

Her hand found his face again, but he said nothing.

“I should have let you die.”

“But you will never do that. At least not like that,” he replied, his eyes shining. “I know that you want to kill me yourself. You will never let me die if you aren’t the one that wounded me, because you will have no satisfaction in it.”

Maiev closed her hand into a fist. He was right, she would never let anyone else kills him, and she was too proud to just finish him. She had to kill him as he is fully healed and that he can counterattack. Otherwise, she would never be at peace. He knew her a little too much for her liking.

“That’s what I thought,” he smiled as she didn’t answer.

Another slap went across his face.

“Be careful of what you say,” she growled. “I still can kill you now.”

“Yeah, speaking of that,” he changed the subject, his eyes killing Maiev for all those slaps. “Your Wardens suck at shooting people, you should fire them if they aren’t able to finish someone.”

“It wasn’t one of my Warden,” Maiev replied calmly.

“Oh please! It wasn’t a cop and no one else would try to kill me.”

“It wasn’t one of them,” repeated Maiev. “While you were unconscious, I contacted them all, asking about their evening, and none of them told me they got into a fight with your little gang.”

“You know, people can lie!” said Illidan, rolling his eyes to the sky.

“Maybe that your Illidari can’t be loyal, but none of my Wardens would lie to me. And they have no reason to hide that fact from me.”

“They could be afraid that you would kill the one that kills me.”

“No, I’ve already told them that I wouldn’t mind, as long as it’s one of us who do it.”

“Yeah, that’s what you say right now, but would you really respect it?”

“Clearly, I will still be the one to kill you,” she threatened.

“Shut up Maiev. I’m still way too wounded to be a satisfying kill.”

“That’s a matter of perspective.”

They stayed still for a moment, trying to kill each other with their eyes. From another room, a clock warned them that it was already noon, and the faint sound of cars passing in front of the house could be heard through the closed windows. They finally broke the eye contact and Illidan sighed.

“So, if it wasn’t you, your Wardens, nor the cops. Then who the fuck shoots me?”

“Well, I was waiting for you to tell me. I cannot magically know it!” she replied, raising her eyes to the sky.

Illidan looked away, unconsciously brushing his hands over the bandages on his chest as he thought of all the possibility he had at that moment. He had no doubts that Maiev would have already killed him if she was slightly responsible for it, or tried something. Instead, she really did everything she could to make sure he would see the next sunrise, so it couldn’t be her. And she was enough feared and respected by the people around her, so they wouldn’t try to betray her. Suddenly, it seemed obvious to him that it was someone that they didn’t know that tried to put an end to his life. But if he had already put his life on the line unwillingly, being alone in that search was probably one of the worst ideas.

“Maiev,” he finally said, breaking the silence. “Can I propose a truce?”

She laughed in his face, almost crying.

“Why the fuck would I accept a truce?” She kept laughing.

“Because we don’t know who shot me, and you might be the next on the list,” he explained seriously. “If we could work together to find who that fucker is, we can take them down, and then, you can try to kill me as much as you want without anyone interfering.”

She stepped back and crossed her arms on her chest, being forced to admit that Illidan had a point. Never would she let anyone on her hunting ground, and especially not if they were targeting Illidan. And if she was working with him, she could find his weaknesses and finally find a way to put him down, and that thought made her smile.

“I see your point and I guess that it’s the best idea currently.”

“Nice to know you can be smart sometimes –”

“But if I realize that it was all a trap, I’m killing you and all of your Illidari,” she interrupted.

“Believe me, if I wanted to kill you, I wouldn’t set up such an elaborate trap,” he sighed.

She groaned, but she still reached her hand to Illidan, who took the hand and shook it. Their deal was sealed.

“Otherwise…” began Illidan, with a mischievous smile.

Maiev threw her head backward and groaned loudly, rubbing her face with her hands. On the desk in front of her, a lot of different papers were scattered, and her fourth coffee’s mug was empty. Yet, she yawned and went back to them, groaning louder as she began once again to inspect them, trying to visualize in her mind what could have happened the night that Illidan got shot.

It had been a week since that night and the truce between the two bosses. They had agreed on keeping it a secret, as they had no idea on who was responsible for the attack, and that the fewer people knowing about it, the less the secret would be out. Maiev went back to her job, and using everything she could find to out the attacker, sending her Wardens to explore some places and gathering clues, while she was asking Cordana for police’s report of the night. Meanwhile, Illidan was using her house as a squat, staying on the couch all day, watching the television. He had explained to her that he couldn’t go back to the Illidari yet, because he had no idea on how much the mysterious shooter knew about them, and that it could have been dangerous to go back there. So instead, he convinced Maiev to host him for the time of their truce.

The pen she was holding broke in half as she thought about it, and Sira jumped out of surprise.

“Oh, sorry,” muttered Maiev.

“Is everything alright?” asked Sira, who had already noticed that her boss was constantly on the nerves.

“It’s nothing,” replied Maiev, her mind trying to find an excuse really fast. “It’s just that I have to… Take care of a filthy stray dog that’s messing up my house, but I can’t shoot it.”

“I like dogs, I could take it with me if it’s bothering you that much?” Sira offered.

Maiev’s eyes opened wide as she realized her mistake.

“No, no, it’ll be alright,” she quickly added. “It’s… It’s my brother’s dog. I accepted to take him in for a while, but it’ll be alright.”

“I didn’t know your brother had a dog.”

“I didn’t either,” Maiev’s replied, her eye twitching.

Sira shrugged as she put down another mug in front of Maiev, and began to take back all the empty ones to bring them back to the kitchen. She glanced at the papers at the same time, not really knowing what Maiev was doing. When asked about, Maiev was always shrugging it off, saying she was trying to find the best plan to trap Illidan and his Illidari, but she was never elaborating on it.

“By the way Sira,” Maiev said, interrupting her thoughts. “Bring a special coffee next time.”

Sira sighed loudly.

“It’s not even 10am. I won’t put alcohol in your coffee this early.”

“I need it,” Maiev muttered.

“If you are still here at 5pm, then maybe. Otherwise, I will replace even replace your coffee with water.”

Maiev groaned and dismissed her lieutenant with a fast movement of her hand. The other woman sighed and took the mugs with her as she left the room, knowing that when Maiev was plotting Illidan’s demise, she had to be left alone. Carefully, she closed the door behind her. Maiev groaned louder and put her face on her desk as she realized that it was going nowhere. After all, it could have just been a passerby that try to shoot Illidan to defend their property or something.

Her phone vibrated with a text, and she quickly glanced at it, only to see it was a message from Illidan.

“Ate the last cereals. Bring more.”

She glared deadly at the screen and quickly typed her reply.

“Shut up you filthy dog.”

After a few minutes, she got another text.

“Woof ;)”

She was going to kill him in his sleep.

Illidan was lazily going through the different channels on the television, muttering on how Maiev could have afforded a better cable with more interesting channels than the ten same one he was going through. Yawning loudly, he closed his eyes and stretched, only to feel the gun on his head.

“I hope you bought the chocolate one, they’re better,” he simply said.

“Get out of this couch,” Maiev growled, her gun still on his head.

“Oh, come on, it was going to be the weather,” whined Illidan, but with a spark of mischief in his eyes.

“Get. Up.”

“Alright, alright,” he said as he sat. “But before you killed me, I’ll let you know that I hid the key of your mailbox, good luck finding it.”

Maiev raised her eyes to the sky, groaning louder and she pushed the gun on the back of his skull, telling him to be faster. Taking all his time, Illidan got up, stretched again, and finally made a slight movement with his head to tell Maiev to guide him. She sighed and made him move to the kitchen, where a few groceries bag were laying on the table.

“I have enough of you just being a fucking lazy slob all day in my house!”

“Hey –”

“So, you will unpack the groceries and make dinner tonight. Or you will get another bullet wound,” she threatened.

“Could you at least make it sounds like an innuendo? This isn’t really pleasing right now.”

“Shut up,” she growled a little more as she pushed him in front of the table.

Finally, she removed the gun and put it back on her belt, stepping away from Illidan. She stayed in the kitchen looking at him until he ultimately went to the bags and began to unpack them, while he groaned because Maiev bought the blankest of cereals she could have found, and eventually, she walked away from the kitchen. Not before giving him one last warning.

“If the dinner isn’t good, I’ll throw my plates into your face.”

He raised his eyes to the sky, groaning, and went back to complaining about what Maiev had bought. Meanwhile, she made her way upstairs and reached her bathroom. Everything about the situation was making her feel exhausted and despite that it was still the end of the afternoon, she decided to take a bath in hope to ease her nerves.

The water began to flood the bathtub and Maiev removed her clothes, and in the mirror, her back flashed with the tattoo of an owl’s head, the symbol of the Wardens. A tattoo that would out her identity, at least her affiliation, at the second someone would see it, yet, she wouldn’t take it out even if the Wardens were to be dismantled. Every single Warden had one, somewhere on their body and it was mandatory to join, and if you wanted to leave the place, you had to skin it out by yourself. Or in the case that someone betrayed the organization, the other Wardens would have the mission to find them and killed them, bringing the skinned tattoo to Maiev as proof that they were dead. Thankfully, it still had to happen.

Maiev took her sight off the mirror and grabbed a towel that she dropped on a little furniture next to the tub, and she finally put a foot in it. Slowly, she drowned into the warm water, and moaned a little as her entire body, but for her face, was submerged. Opening back her eyes, she sighed as she looked at the roof, thinking about everything that had been bothering her in those last days. Obviously, the fact that Illidan, the man that she had sworn to kill, her most likely arch-nemesis, and the most annoying human being she ever had to meet, was living in her own house, for free and walking around shirtless, while doing nothing unless she was putting a gun on his head. The more she was thinking about it, the less she was understanding herself. Why was she accepting to help him? Instead of letting him deal with his own problems? How could she let it happen?

But she knew exactly why. Someone had wounded him, and despite having searched everywhere, she had absolutely no idea who it could have been. None of her Wardens met Illidan that night; Cordana had been categorical, none of her cops had an altercation with someone that night, and Illidan wouldn’t have been stupid enough to create a trap for Maiev where he could have died from the wound if it had been a plan all along. The only possibility was that someone had tried to get rid of one of the most powerful mafia’s bosses in the city. Either it would have been a little gang trying to gain some tractions, or it could have been that another mafia was trying to put its grasp over the city. Whatever it was, it meant that even Maiev wasn’t going to be safe.

Unless it had been some vendetta against Illidan and Illidan alone? Now that she was thinking about it, she knew almost nothing about his past. As soon as he became important, when she was still the head of the police, she went through the files on him and found nothing about his family or anything. It was like he had spawned out of the void when he became an adult. Of course, she wasn’t stupid, she knew that Illidan became friends with Kael’thas before starting his gang, so it wouldn’t have been difficult to erase all traces of his existence from before once he had the future mayor in his pocket. But in the case of a vendetta, what could they do? Wasn’t Maiev putting herself stupidly in danger anyway by doing that?

She quickly shook her head as she felt a migraine starting with how much she was thinking about it. For the moment, they were nowhere. And even if she wanted to get rid of Illidan, she had to admit that at least, it could have been worse. He was annoying yes, but since that night, he never tried to put a hand on her, nor tried to kill her, despite that he had an entire week to try something. And maybe that if she was showing herself to be persuasive, she could get him to fully take care of her house when she would be away. She smiled at the idea of Illidan serving her, forgetting that he was also a feared Mafia’s boss, just like her.

The door of the bathroom opened violently.

“Dinner’s ready!” yelled Illidan, entering the room.

Surprised, Maiev had already jumped out of the bathtub, and she was standing in a fighting stance, fists closed and in front of her face. She didn’t even care about the wet strands of hair blocking her sight. Illidan stayed at the entrance, chuckling at her reaction, then, his eyes going went all over her body and he began to grin.

“Get out!” yelled back Maiev, who had noticed that he was checking her out.

“Alright, alright,” he said, putting his hands in the air and lowering his head, still grinning. “But if the dinner burns, it’ll be your fault. And I’ll be the one to throw my plate into your face.”

Following those words, he turned around and left the room. Maiev waited to hear his steps in the stairs before she moved to get the towel and put it around herself. She sighed as she went to get another one for her hair, while she decided that if Illidan dared to say anything about her, she would bash his head against the table. She had never been ashamed of her body, and if she needed it, she knew she would use it as a weapon, but just the idea of Illidan making inappropriate comments on it was enough to make her angry. Quickly drying herself, she put on sweat pants and a simple t-shirt over her and finally left the room as she let her hair dry with the towel on her head.

When she stepped downstairs, she got surprised by the pleasant smell of food, when she had expected him to burn things just to annoy her. Yet, a spicy smell paired with garlic was tickling her nose, and as an answer, her stomach growled. Hoping that Illidan hadn’t heard it, she entered the kitchen where Illidan was finishing to serve the plates. It was ground beef, with thin slices of potatoes that had grilled in the oven with a mix of spices and garlic, and a little salad on the side to accompany the meal. She raised an eyebrow as she looked at it.

“Well, I was expecting instant noodles,” she said out loud to grab his attention.

“Maybe that you can survive on it, but it isn’t my case,” he replied. “Oh, and by the way, buy burger bread next time, it would have been better than just the meat.”

“Complain once more, and you’ll have to buy your own groceries,” she groaned.

“Well, shut up and come eat before it becomes cold.”

She sat at the table and began to eat, quickly surprised that it was as good as it looked.

“Oh fuck, you can cook actually…” she whispered, more for herself even if it hadn’t eluded Illidan.

“I spent a lot of time alone and I had to learn how to cook if I wanted to survive without my parents,” he shrugged.

“After or before you started that little gang of yours?”

“Before,” he replied with a smile.

But Maiev wasn’t stupid, she saw that he was faking the smile and that he even had a hard time keeping it, as his lips twitched a few times before he went back to eat. He tried to act like he was proud, but he was still deeply hurt by that fact, and Maiev suddenly had no doubt that he erased all information on his life because he didn’t want to think about his family. She suddenly wondered if he could have killed them all as a way to make them pay for his upbringing, and that he erased all traces of them to protect himself in a court case. Even his last name was unknown.

“So, as you haven’t let me say a word since you came back,” began Illidan, getting her out of her mind. “Got any new information today?”

“Still nothing,” she sighed. “I got the last reports from Cordana that assure me that no cops had used their gun that night. Meanwhile, my Wardens went to investigate in the neighborhood and, some people did hear a gunshot, but no one knows what happened.”

“And I guess that no one went to see after the gunshot?”

“Illidan please, it’s actually a place that’s entirely relying on the Wardens, they know that if they want to live, they shouldn’t go after a gunshot.”

“You got a point.”

“But like… Could it be that it’s someone from your past who tried to kill you?” She finally asked, that question bothering her since she thought about it.

Illidan laughed so loud that she even pushed back her chair.

“Listen Maiev, there’s nothing from my past that could kill me. Even better, I have no past. If anyone is trying to kill me, it’s because of me as the boss of the Illidari. Nothing else. Point.”

“I swear that if it happens to really be something from your past, I’ll kill you before you can do anything. Or them. Because I don’t like to be lied to.”

Illidan kept laughing and Maiev went back to her food. The more she was thinking about it, the more she realized she should go on the place of the accidents by herself. After all, even if she had sent her Wardens, even the more trusted one, they actually had no idea what it was all about as Maiev would have preferred dying than admitting she was working with Illidan. But if she went by herself, it could be better as she would know how to interpret the clues better. It was probably the best idea for now.

“Illidan, for the love of Gods, please put on a shirt,” she finally snapped as she realized she was once again checking him out, even if she would pretend she would only watch the bandage to make sure he wasn’t bleeding.

“Hey, not my fault my only shirt got ripped into pieces and soaked in blood,” he retorted with a smile.

Looking around, Maiev quickly put back the sunglasses on her face. The abandoned building and its parking lot might have been drowning in the dark, but she couldn’t afford to be recognized at that moment. It was the place where Illidan had been shot, two weeks ago now. Even if she knew that the more she waited to go investigate the place by herself, the more she could lose any clues about the shooter, but she had to wait one more week before doing anything. First, she had to make sure that the place was safe for her to go, and for this, she relied on diverse reports from Cordana and the police. Then, she had to find a way to not let it slip in front of Illidan, as he might have tried to stop her, the possibility of being actively involved in the shooting on her mind. Even if the more times she was spending with him, the less she was believing it was just an elaborate trap to get her. There was some kind of real sincerity when he was talking to her, and she even got him to drop some personal information about him. Vain and surface information that wouldn’t change the way she was seeing him, as he knew how to keep the more personal and deep stuff to himself, but it was enough for her to believe that he had only been a victim that night.

Since, they had spent two weeks living in the same house, and despite that she still wanted to punch him, it wasn’t that bad. He had been taking care of the house more, cleaning it, and also making dinner, especially the days Maiev would come back later than usual and she liked it. She still had to buy him a new shirt himself, and she smiled as she remembered how offended he was when she threw the Hawaiian shirt at him, and that he complained that it wasn’t the kind of shirt that he would wear. Yet, he was walking around the house with the shirt on him, unbuttoned, rendering it useless for the purpose Maiev had bought it. Putting Illidan’s chest out of her view.

Getting next to a pillar that was supporting the entire structure, she noticed dried blood on it. It was old enough to have completely dried, but recent enough to be noticeable on the rocky pillar. With how Illidan described the scene, it was most likely where he got shot. As she crouched, following the path of the blood that dripped towards the ground, she found a bullet impact barely a few inches away from the pillar, as if someone shot the ground. Remembering how Illidan had been wounded, she got up and leaned against the pillar, holding her arms as if she was trying to stop the bleeding from her chest. And as she pretended to hold a gun, she realized that if she tried to shoot from her wounded arm, the bullet would have ended close to the first impact, but as Maiev was slightly smaller than Illidan, the path had to be different.

But at least, now she knew that Illidan tried to fight back, but most likely that the wound was too serious for him to be able to retaliate exactly. What bothered her the most, was that if Illidan tried to shoot his attacker, he should have seen them. The parking had crappy lightning, but Maiev was able to see everything from where she was, and from what she saw of the scene, the shooter would have been against a wall, and she could see perfectly the wall from the pillar. There was no way that Illidan wouldn’t have seen who shot him.

She frowned as she bypassed the pillar, ready to leave the place as she had to confront Illidan about that observation, but before she could do it, her phone rang with Cordana’s number.

“Listening,” Maiev replied.

“Ah, Maiev, nice you answered. I absolutely need to talk to you about some directives that Kael’thas will take. Where are you?” Cordana immediately explained.

“Investigating a building in the East Ghetto, you see, the one I already talked to you about. What’s that about Kael’thas? Are the Wardens in danger?”

“You don’t even imagine, apparently Illidan is after you personally and he’s using Kael’thas –”

But Maiev stopped listening to Cordana as she noticed the tag on the pillar. It was completely abstract and it was just line with paint filling the inside, but her eyes caught something similar on the wall behind it, and she began to step back, noticing that there was more of those strange tags on the wall, even if they weren’t connected to each other. But they were on the same color and following some kind of pattern. She kept walking backward, and soon, got to see that even the other pillars had those tags, and finally she saw it.

A gang symbol, resembling like a stylized bull skull made with green and white, along with two black eyes looking straight at her, appeared to her, stretching over the pillars and the walls behind them.

“Maiev? Are you listening? Maiev?”

Cordana’s voice was echoing in the empty parking as Maiev looked up. Maybe that the building wasn’t as abandoned as she thought. But before she could do anything, the lights went off.

“Hey, dinner will be cold, hurry up,” Illidan texted, looking nervously at the hours.

He knew that Maiev would be late, and he even cooked accordingly to it, so Maiev wouldn’t have to do him the affront to microwave the food, but even then, she was too late for his liking. And the worst was that she wasn’t even replying. He had already sent fifth messages, and yet, not a single reply in sight and it was worrying him. Usually, she would answer, even if it was just to send him an emoji to tell him she was going to kill him. And she would have at least warned him if she had to be really late.

Knowing the food would end up burning, he stopped everything and let it rest. Pacing inside the house, he glanced at the phone in the living room, thinking about the different ways he could have news about Maiev. He had Sira’s number, her most trusted lieutenant, as he succeeded to go through her phone one night, and that he took all information that he could use, and he could contact her to know if Maiev was at least with her. But before he could take the phone, his own began to ring with a call. And Maiev’s number on it.

“Oh, nice of you to finally give some news,” he sarcastically answered, not giving her the chance to say a word. “For that, you can expect your instant noodles tonight.”

But she didn’t reply. There was a strange silence and Illidan frowned at it. Did she call him on accident? Like the number just called itself in her pocket? Yet, he thought that he heard a faint voice on the other side.

“Maiev? Hey, Maiev do you hear me?” he tried to yell, sweat dripping on his back.

There was like a whisper on the other side, but he couldn’t make the words out of it.

“Maiev, if you hear me, please say something.”

A gunshot echoed on the other side.

Without thinking twice about it, he looked back at his phone and got out of the call to have access to his applications and immediately searched for the localization of Maiev’s phone. She was only two streets away and he threw himself out of the house, not even locking the door behind him as he ran towards her location, knowing that it was a race against time.

He found her, laying on the ground. Her phone next to her face, and her gun in her hands. She was barely breathing and she had her eyes closed, along with a hand over her waist, and right under her, a pool of blood. He threw himself next to her and went to check her pulse. Low but there. Slowly, she opened her eyes to look at him.

“You… worst,” she whispered not without difficulties. “Gun… Give…Position.”

With a quick glance at the gun, he understood that she was the one to firing it, to make him understand that something was going really wrong and that she needed help. And he had no doubt anymore that the faint whisper was actually her trying to call for help.

“Hush, I’m there,” he softly said as Maiev groaned a little more.

He quickly looked at her, trying to evaluate the damage. As he slightly removed her hands from her waist, where the bleeding was the stronger, he quickly noticed that she had also been shot, but it was worst than him and it would be harder to take care of such wound. But as the idea of bringing her to the hospital crossed his mind, he realized how bad of an idea it was. As soon as he would register her, and himself as they wouldn’t let him leave without having his identity, there would be no way out and the prison would be waiting for them.

She whimpered and Illidan realized he was losing some precious time. Quickly, he grabbed her under her legs and back, and he ran back to her home. If she had been able to take care of his wound, then, he should be able to do the same. As he reached her home, he slammed the door open with his back and went to drop her in the living room, where she took care of him two weeks ago.

“Hallway,” she whispered, to tell him where the first aid kit was.

He nodded and went to take it, quickly passing by the laundry room where he had put towels to dry earlier that day, and as soon as he was next to Maiev again, he ripped out her shirt to have access to the wound and he winced as he looked at it. Whatever was happening, she would have a really bad scar as a reminder of the day, and now, it was up to him to make sure she would have the time to get that scar.

Delicately, he lifted her to see if the bullet went through all of her body, but her back had no trace of a wound. Now that he knew where to put pressure to stop the bleeding, he put her back on the ground and took one of the towels and used all of his strength to push on the wound, in the hope to stop the bleeding. He was drowning in sweat, and he had never been so happy that it wasn’t the first wound he had to take care of, otherwise, he could have said goodbye to Maiev right away.

“For fuck sake, Maiev,” he groaned between his teeth. “What have you done?”

But she didn’t reply. She had her eyes closed while her face winced and frowned with the pain. Her breathing was being really slow, and Illidan was happy to hear the whimpers coming from her mouth, telling him that she was somewhat still conscious. He concentrated again on the wound, looking at the towel getting soaked with her blood, and he lost the concept of time. He had no idea how long it had been since he found her, and even less how long it had been since he was applying pressure to her waist. It could have been only ten seconds, like ten thousand years, and he wouldn’t care. He wasn’t going to give up on her.

As his hands became bloody, he threw away the towel and took a new one to put on her waist. While he made the change, he looked at the wound, still bleeding, even if it was less than when he started. He sighed of relief and kept pushing the wound. Suddenly, a clock rang the hour in the house, but it seemed so far away that Illidan barely heard it. He could only hear his own blood thundering in his ears.

“Tell…Tell Sira…”

Maiev was trying to talk, using precious energy and it made Illidan groaned.

“Use your own advice for once, and shut up,” he muttered between his teeth.

“You… You shut up,” she replied, trying to look threatening with her eyes, but she quickly closed them again.

Slowly, he removed the towel and checked on the wound, it had finally stopped bleeding and he chuckled out of stress. He threw away the bloody towel and put a clean one on it, then he got up and went to get water to clean the wound. As he got back, he stopped to take some medicine as he had no doubt that Maiev was going to need them to survive the night. She was already burning from a fever, and he had to lower it. But first, be sure that the wound was bandaged.

Crouching back next to her, he delicately cleaned the wet and dried blood from her skin, allowing him better access to the bullet hole. Then, he took the alcohol, the same that Maiev took so much pleasure to pour all over his opened wounds, and he put it some on the cleaned cotton, and slowly disinfected the edge of the wounds. Maiev screamed, out of pain, and he grabbed her so she wouldn’t slam her head against the floor once the pain would fade, and he slowly lowered her. She slowly opened her eyes and looked at him, still whimpering.

“Hey, it’s going to be alright,” he whispered to her, with a comforting tone that surprised him from the level of stress he was under.

She tried to nod and closed her eyes again, on the edge of the unconsciousness. Meanwhile, Illidan kept disinfecting the wounds, and finally, he sat on the floor, wiping the sweat off his forehead and he took a really deep breath. When he thought that he almost became a doctor, it made him laugh. It would have been way easier if he had been one, but if he had listened to them, he would have probably never met Maiev. He looked at Maiev, the tip of his lips slowly forming a smile. Carefully, he lifted her as he passed the bandage around her waist and he sealed the wound.

Maiev was trying really hard to open her eyes, but Illidan knew she was going to fall unconscious at any second, so, he quickly went to get a glass of water and went back next to Maiev. With a quick touch on her forehead, he felt that she was good for a really big fever, and it was better to avoid it. He gently grabbed her around the chest and helped her in a sitting position. Her head was bobbing and he had to put a hand on her forehead to keep it steady, while she kept whimpering.

“Come on Maiev, the medicine will help.”

Saying that, he put the pill in her mouth, and brought the glass of water to her lips to make her drink. Thankfully, she was still conscious enough to be able to drink and Illidan sighed with relief as he saw her swallowing. Then, Maiev let her head fall against him and she slowly gave up on staying conscious. He gave the bandage another look, being happy that it was still white and he thought about what he would have to do after that. His legs were feeling weak but he had no other choice but to move, he couldn’t let Maiev sleep in the middle of a bloody mess.

Slowly, he got up and grabbed her to carry her, and carefully, he brought her upstairs to her bedroom. He put her into the bed, and tucked her within the sheets, knowing that once the fever will go down, she would probably feel really cold. He gave her one last look, keeping in his mind all the questions that he had for her, and he turned around. Only to be stopped as she grabbed his arm.

“Please,” she whispered. “I don’t want to die alone.”

Illidan looked at her. Her face was still in pain and he heard in her voice that she was begging him to stay, and it surprised him. He had never expected to see Maiev Shadowsong, the fearsome leader of the Wardens, be so afraid to die and needing him. It was so unusual.

He laughed, loudly.

“Hey, hey, repeat that,” he said, getting his phone out to record her.

“I don’t want to die alone,” she repeated, almost crying, not realizing that Illidan was mocking her.

Holding his phone, he recorded her plea, her hand desperately grabbing him, but once he had a satisfying video, he got out of her weak grasp and moved away from the bed, still laughing. As Illidan was too far away, she curled on herself, sobbing herself to sleep, while he left the room. Going downstairs, he looked at the video, a victorious smile spreading across his face. After all, they just had a truce. As soon as they would get rid of whoever was trying to kill them, they would go back at each other throats. And having something to blackmail her was already giving him an advantage.

Of course, he knew he just saved her life, and almost without thinking about it, but it was only because they had to work together to bring down the others. Not because he was really caring for her or anything of that taste. Proud of himself, to have saved her, and humiliate her in the same evening, he laid down on the couch to sleep, but first, he kept looking at that recording of Maiev begging him to stay with him. He was smiling, but as he reached the fifth viewing, his smile slowly dropped. Her fear to die alone was legitimate, and it was most probably her future since she decided to get into a life of crime. It would also happen to Illidan, he knew it. Ever since he gave up on life and created his gang, now mafia, the countdown to a painful death without anyone to hold his hand was on his mind. There was no way to change it. And Maiev should know better and get used to it instead of begging her enemy to be the one to hold her hand.

He sat on the couch, frowning as he made himself angry. On his phone, the video was still playing, and he heard once again her voice, begging him to stay, and he side-eyed it, not being amused by it anymore. He sighed, and clicked on the option for the video, then clicked on the deleting option. The video disappeared forever, and he got up from the couch. Slowly, he went upstairs and entered her room. She was sleeping, calmer than when he left her. Carefully, he got into the bed, making sure to not wake her up, and he grabbed her, burying his face against her skin.

“I don’t want to die alone either,” he said out loud.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And as promised, here the second chapter!
> 
> Enjoy ^^

Maiev slowly opened her eyes. All of the left sides of her waist were burning, but she succeeded to only groan. Then, she realized that despite the pain, she was feeling strangely relaxed for someone who had a near-death night, and she couldn’t explain it. But before she could try to remember how the night went, Illidan burst through the door of her room, holding a trail with food on it.

“Nice, you’re awake!” he yelled, loudly as Maiev frowned as if she had a hangover. “If you weren’t, I would have been forced to throw a bucket of cold water on you.”

“Don’t you fucking dare,” she muttered between her teeth. “It’s clearly not you who almost died.”

“And thanks to who?” He asked, with a really big smile that told her she would regret that debt.

“You,” she gritted.

“Great! Now that’s it settled, you will fucking eat something because it’s been almost twenty hours since I found you, and you will answer some questions too.”

Saying that, he dropped the trail on the nightstand, then went to grab a chair and sat right next to her, his arms crossed over his chest with an accusing look. Maiev rolled her eyes and grabbed the sandwich that was waiting for her.

“So, how did it happen?” Illidan asked, suddenly really serious.

“I…I went to investigate the place you got shot by myself,” she admitted.

“Maiev! We knew it was dangerous to go there!”

She had a hollow laugh.

“You think I haven’t noticed?” She said, sarcasm all over her voice. “Anyway, I think that I learned a few things that could be useful.”

“Go on…”

“You see that building? The one we thought was abandoned?”

“Of course, how can I forget that goddamn building.”

“It isn’t abandoned. There’s a gang symbol all over it, but without an overview of the building, we cannot see it. And it wouldn’t surprise me that they just kept the abandoned look to transform it into a trap.”

“But how can you be so sure? When I started my little activities, I would tag the Illidari’s symbol everywhere, not just on the building we were using at that time,” pointed out Illidan.

“Well, were the lights on when you got shot?”

Illidan leaned against the back of the chair, thinking about that night.

“There were lights… Then they flickered, almost going off… And then I got shot.”

“When I was there, everything was lighted, but suddenly, they went off and I got shot. If this isn’t a trap, then I don’t know what is it.”

“Would make sense.”

“Clearly, someone is trying to kill us.”

She looked down on the food that she was barely eating. The phone call from Cordana wasn’t forgotten, and even if Illidan seemed really sincere on wanting to help her, the possibility that he had been the one to initiate the trap wasn’t null. He had told her that Kael’thas was the one to talk to him about that place, but now that she saw it, it could have been that they had planned everything. Illidan would get shot, but not enough for it to be dangerous for his life, and then, he crawled to her house and ask for help. Finally, she investigated the place herself and really got shot. It was almost a plan too perfect.

But she didn’t die. She survived and Illidan went to her rescue and instead of letting her die, he did everything he could to help her. So, unless he was setting up the biggest trap, and that he needed her to believe he was on her side, it was unlikely that he was responsible for everything. Yet, it was costing nothing to stay suspicious of him.

“Eat, for fuck sake,” Illidan interrupted her thought. “Or I will have to force you.”

“Touch me, and I’ll chop your head off,” she growled as she finally bit in the sandwich, knowing he would probably do it.

Three days had passed since Maiev got shot, and she was laying on the couch, groaning as she felt like the pain in her waist would never stop. So, she was eating medicine on medicine to calm it, and it was making her numb. Meanwhile, Illidan was taking care of everything in the house, realizing how lucky he had been with his own wound. He was currently preparing the dinner for the day, always checking discreetly on Maiev as she couldn’t care less about him.

Then, someone knocked on the front door.

As if she had been shocked, Maiev jumped out of the couch, only to immediately crouch out of pain from the movement. Illidan was already at the door and quickly peeked through the peephole, noticing that it was a woman, looking impatient. He knew her, he already had some altercation with her.

“I think it’s Sira,” he quickly whispered to Maiev who was joining him.

She became even paler than she already was. Usually, Sira would warn her that she would come, and not show up unannounced like that.

“Leave!” she angrily whispered back to Illidan. “She can’t see you. Upstairs. Now!”

“Don’t let the dinner burn then,” he simply said as he quickly left the hallway.

Maiev rolled her eyes, groaned out of pain once more, and finally, she opened the door, smiling at her lieutenant.

“Sira, what are you doing here?” She asked, trying to keep the smile on her face.

“I was worried about you. Suddenly taking a week off is so unlike you.”

“I’m your boss, I shouldn’t even justify myself,” reminded Maiev as she let her in. “And I told you, it’s nothing. I just need to stay at home and I’ll get better.”

“But you never complained about period cramps being that awful,” pointed out Sira, who knew Maiev for years.

“Well, apparently I wasn’t free from that pain,” Maiev replied, her eyes twitching.

She had found no better idea but to pretend she was a victim of terrible period cramps to explain why she was staying at home for a week. After all, if she had to start explaining that she had been shot, she would have no other choice but to tell everything, and giving away her truce with Illidan. And the fact that he was living with her currently.

“The dog isn’t here?” Innocently asked Sira, looking everywhere.

“Oh… I asked a neighbor to take him for his walk, as I can’t do it today,” Maiev awkwardly smiled.

Sira looked really disappointed and Maiev almost felt bad to play with her like that. Doing her best to not let it show that she was really in pain around the waist, she invited Sira to follow her in the kitchen.

“I was cooking when you showed up.”

With a quick glance, Sira frowned.

“Isn’t it a little too much for you alone?”

“Oh, it’s just that the dog is picky and refuse to eat dog food, so I have to cook him the same food as me,” she faked a chuckle.

In the following minute, her phone vibrated with a text from Illidan.

“The DOG would like to remind you that without him, you wouldn’t even eat correctly!”

“Shut up, I’m trying to save my face right now!!!!” She replied.

She put the phone on the table, and sighed slowly, only to feel like a bolt in her waist, and she couldn’t refrain the scream.

“Maiev?!” Immediately asked Sira.

“It’s nothing,” she told her, heavy drops of sweat sliding along her face. “I’m just not used to that kind of cramps.”

“Maiev, sit down, I will finish cooking for you.”

“Thank you,” she whispered as she sat on a chair.

Sira went to the pans on the fire and began to take care of it. Meanwhile, Maiev was regretting a lot of her life’s choices at that exact moment. Especially that Illidan sent another text to her.

“Please, keep some foods for me, I’m starving actually.”

She couldn’t even be sarcastic with him anymore, and for once, send a reply that looked normal.

“Don’t worry, I’m not even going to eat, you’ll have my part.”

She put the phone away and waited for her lieutenant to be done with dinner. Thankfully, it didn’t last long, as Illidan was almost done with it when Sira showed up. She prepared two plates and put them on the table, as she sat down and looked at Maiev, extremely pale.

“Maiev… Are you sure you are alright?”

“Of course I am!” Maiev replied, rolling her eyes to the sky. “You know that I won’t allow myself to die until I appointed you as my successor.”

“Could we please not talk about that?” Asked Sira, uncomfortable with the subject of Maiev dying.

“You know that I’m stronger than I am. It’s not period cramps that will kill me.”

“I believe you. Otherwise, I made the investigations you asked,” said Sira, changing the subject.

Maiev felt herself drowning in sweat. She had asked Sira to find information that would either confirm or deny Illidan’s implication in her shooting, even if Sira had no idea that it was the case, and now, she could have the answer. But Illidan was able to hear all of their conversations, and there was no way for her to stop Sira without getting one of them suspicious over it. And she knew that they would both don’t hesitate to shot each other if they met right now.

“And?” Maiev finally asked, dreading the reply.

“I got a newbie to infiltrate Kael’thas’ circle, and it had been confirmed that he’s working on a pretty big plan with the help of someone. He didn’t say the name out loud, but it’s obvious it’s Illidan, and apparently, they plan to exterminate us.”

Maiev swallowed hard and quickly glance towards the ceiling, where Illidan could have been at that exact moment.

“I was really worried about you because they seemed to say that you would be the main target,” added Sira as Maiev felt the pain on her waist becoming worst at the second. “But that’s not all. I got the information that Illidan himself was hiding somewhere away from his Illidari, probably scheming his perfect plan to take you down.”

Maiev was feeling dizzy. Her phone strangely silent when she knew that Illidan would still talk to her through it. Sira was looking really worried at her, and Maiev realized that she was now in a race against time.

“Thank you for the information Sira. Could you please leave now and go warn everyone else that we might need to launch a preventive attack on the Illidari? The sooner we get ready, the less they will be able to surprise us.”

“Are you sure you want to stay alone?”

“Yes. I’m in safety here, you know it. So, please, go warn them.”

Sira quickly nodded and left the table. Almost immediately, Maiev heard the front door closing, and she slowly stood up, using the table as support while she heard fast steps going down the stairs. She only got the time to grab a gun that Illidan entered the kitchen.

“Maiev, please listen to me –”

She aimed the gun at him, her eyes shining with anger.

“You fucking son of a bitch,” she said, each word separated by heavy breathing. “I knew I should have fired that bullet through your brain when you showed up at my door!”

“Maiev, this is false! I haven’t talked to Kael’thas in weeks!”

“Stop lying to me! I won’t hesitate to empty my gun in your body!”

“Maiev, I swear to you that I haven’t set up a trap or anything, I don’t know what is happening either!”

“How convenient,” she growled between her teeth.

Illidan was standing in front of her, his hands up in the air to show her he hadn’t taken any weapons with him. Quickly, he noticed that her arm was shaking and that she couldn’t even keep it steady, and even less fire a gun. So, he slowly approached her.

“Stay away!” She ordered, getting closer to the table to be able to keep standing. “I won’t let you kill me!”

“Maiev, I don’t want to kill you now!” he growled, getting angry at how she kept refusing to listen to him. “And even if I wanted to, I had plenty of times and possibilities in over two weeks to do something! I could have killed you in your sleep! Poisoned your food! Let you die three days ago! And yet, you’re still alive!”

With those words, he grabbed her around the shoulders and the gun fell on the ground as Maiev had no strength anymore. Yet, she looked at him in the eyes, crying, and she kept lashing out.

“I don’t care! Get out of my house! I don’t want to see you ever again!”

“Fine!” he shouted back. “Good luck with those people trying to kill us then!”

And out of anger, he pushed her out of his way and walked towards the hallway. But when Maiev hit the table, right on the wound, she screamed. A brief scream that stopped immediately, as Maiev’s body hit the floor. Hearing it, Illidan quickly turned back, only to see her, laying on the floor, not moving, and blood slowly accumulating under her.

He jumped next to her, only to see that the bandage was already soaked in blood and he realized that the wound had reopened, probably from the shock against the table. Knowing, he had to do something, he was ready to get back the first aid kit, when something hit him. He didn’t remove the bullet the first time. It was still wandering in her body, damaging her even more. Right now, he couldn’t do anything. She was needing more than just a bandaged wound, she needed real care. But the hospital was a no-go, even if she really needed it.

Unless…

He glanced at his phone and swallowed hard. There was a solution, but he only had an infinitesimal chance to work. Yet, he had no other choice if he wanted to save her. He began by wrapping more clothes around her waist, to stop the bleeding as much as he could, and then, he grabbed her and ran inside the garage where her car was put, carefully putting her on the back seat. Then, he got at the wheel and dialed a number on his phone, put it on the loudspeaker, and threw it on the seat next to him. As his phone rang with the number, he started the car and left the place, knowing he couldn’t wait to bring her somewhere.

After what seemed an eternity, the phone finally stopped ringing, and a voice answered.

“Malfurion Stormrage, listening.”

Illidan took a deep breath.

“Malf… It’s me Illidan.”

“… I’m hanging off.”

“Wait! Please! No! I need your help! I know I promised to never talk or contact you ever again, but it’s not for me! I really, really, really need your help!”

“You know I don’t want anything to do with you.”

“I know! I know! You really think I’m contacting you only to be a bother?! I’m not doing it for me but for someone else!”

Silence answered him and Illidan felt tears running down his face. If his own brother couldn’t help him, then he had no other choice but to go to the hospital on his own. Maiev would be safe, but they would end in jail before the end of the next day. But he had no other choice.

“Please,” he cried. “I’m desperate.”

“… What do you need?”

“She got shot, three days ago. I could only stop the bleeding and the bullet is still inside her body. The wound reopened right now, and she’s unconscious.”

More silence answered him.

“Malf?”

“Go on the Moonglade avenue, then, take the street to the abandoned industrial zoning. I’ll stop your car.”

“Thanks,” Illidan whispered.

But the phone call had already been ended on the other side.

Quickly, Illidan turned the car and traveled through the city to join the meeting point, being a little nervous to be sent so far away from the hospital. He had expected Malf to just sneak them inside the building, as he was one of the best doctors to work in the city, and Illidan knew he had some influence. It was also the reason why he never tried to put his hand over the hospital. He had promised to his brother, a long time ago, that they would never see each other again as Illidan began to rise as a criminal, and ever since, he had respected that promised. Until he couldn’t trust anyone else to save Maiev.

He turned into the little one-way street, his anxiety suddenly rocketing through the roof as he realized that he couldn’t even know if he could trust his brother. Yet, he had no other choice, and he kept driving, slowly to not miss the place. Finally, a figure appeared in the headlight and made a sign for Illidan to enter into a building with the car, and as he turned, he got to see a glimpse of his brother’s face. He sighed and parked himself inside.

Throwing himself out of the car, he went to check on Maiev, thankfully still breathing even if she was still unconscious. But a hand on his shoulder made him step back as he looked at his brother, who was looking worried. Illidan tried to say something, but the words stayed locked in his throat.

“Help me to transport her,” Malfurion said, showing a transportable bed next to the car, the same that they had in the hospital.

Nodding, Illidan went to gently grab Maiev and carried her to the bed as Malfurion also held her to stabilize her as much as they could. Then, they went through a door and got inside the main warehouse, and if it was looking abandoned from the outside, Illidan got to realize that it wasn’t the case at all. Everything had been designed to hold some kind of little hospital inside the place, and Illidan got surprised by looking at it. He had no idea that such a thing was existing in his city.

“I’ll handle things on my own,” told Malfurion, catching his attention and pointing to a place further away in the building. “Go wait there. You’ll find foods, drinks.”

Illidan nodded and slowed down his pace, until he was completely still and looked at Malfurion and Maiev disappearing in another room, a red light suddenly appearing above the door to signal that the room was in use. As he felt that his legs were going to give up on him at any seconds now, he finally made her way to what looked like a cafeteria and sat on a chair. He couldn’t do anything but wait now. And even if he knew he should have been already working on exposing who was trying to kill them, he couldn’t even think about it. His mind was completely blank, and he curled on himself in the chair and closed his eyes, waiting.

“Illidan? Illidan?”

He felt the hand, gently shaking him by the shoulders and he groaned as he opened his eyes, realizing that he fell asleep. At his side, Malfurion was looking at him, and Illidan could only see the tiredness in his eyes, and it was better than what he was expecting.

“What?” he asked with a sleepy voice that he hated right away.

“Take off the shirt, I’ll check your wound too.”

“I’m not wounded,” he tried to laugh.

“I can see the bandage. Don’t be a child, please.”

Illidan groaned but knew he had no other choice but to let his brother examine the injury. He put away the shirt and let his brother take out the bandage, his tools on the table next to them.

“Like expected, you went through so much pressure that yours might also have reopened, look, it’s already reddish.”

And indeed, the white bandage from the morning was already changing colors. Quickly, Malfurion inspected the area where he had been shot, but a faint smile quickly spread across his face.

“Looks like you were the lucky ones. No way you would have died from that, especially that it had been handled well.”

“It felt like dying,” pointed out Illidan. “But I’m sure that if she hadn’t done anything, I could have died.”

“Surely. But clearly, you aren’t even in danger anymore.”

Malfurion quickly cleaned the wound from the blood and put a new bandage on it. Then, as it was done, he went to make coffee for Illidan and he, putting it on the table as Illidan was already putting back the shirt.

“I would have never thought that you were the kind to wear a Hawaiian shirt,” said Malfurion.

“It’s a gift from her,” muttered Illidan as a reply.

“Anyway, how did you ended with the leader of the Warden dying in your car?”

Illidan chuckled at those words.

“Oh please, that’s not –”

“Don’t deny, I saw the tattoo.”

Illidan’s smile immediately dropped.

“I got shot, she helped me. She got shot… I thought I was helping her…”

“Doesn’t explain much.”

“Someone is trying to get us killed. It might be a new mafia trying to get the city. We decided to work together after I got shot and that she accepted to help me, but then, she got shot herself, and I just kept hurting her. I can’t even believe I’ve been so stupid that I didn’t even think of getting that bullet out of her.”

He took his face in one hand, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he realized how awful it had been since the beginning, and how he couldn’t even think clearly when Maiev was in danger. Why would he act like that when three weeks ago, he was ready to blow up her house?

“By the way, you haven’t told me yet… But… Is… Is she…?”

He couldn’t even say those words.

“She’s fine,” interrupted Malfurion. “I removed the bullet, cleaned the wound, and sew it back together. But she better stay calm for a while. She could have lost her right kidney if I hadn’t intervened in time.”

“She won’t stay calm. She thinks that it’s all an elaborate trap I set up to kill her, and she doesn’t trust me anymore. Not that she was trusting me before…”

“And is it? An elaborate trap to kill her?”

Illidan looked straight into his brother’s eyes, with an are-you-fucking-kidding-me look that could have scared anyone.

“Do..! Do you really?! Do you really think it is?!” Lashed out Illidan, getting up. “Have you seen what I did just for her?! Do you realize it?! I’m talking to you for Gods’ sake!”

“Calm down, calm down,” simply replied Malfurion, moving his hand to tell his brother to sit again. “Just the fact that you called me was enough for me to understand everything. If there is something I could never accuse you of, it’s to break promises. So the fact that you did spoke for you.”

“I’m sorry… I swear I didn’t want to contact you…”

“Hey, you felt that it was the right thing to do. And it was. Stop beating yourself about it and be happy that she’s alive.”

“Thanks…”

Illidan leaned back against the chair and curled on himself once again, looking at his surroundings. Malfurion was the head in a fridge to get something to eat and Illidan glanced at the coffee in front of him, that he still hadn’t touched. By a look behind him, he saw the improvised room, aligned next to a wall, the room to operate people next to them. He could see all the beds, but for one that had been hidden by a curtain, and he knew it was Maiev. The inside of the warehouse was strangely clean from what he saw of the outside. Finally, Malfurion came back to sit in front of him.

“I had no idea this thing was there…”

“Oh yeah, it happens that being the best doctor in town is actually a plague. You wouldn’t believe how many criminals try to come to me and threaten me to get help when they get injured,” sighed Malfurion. “So, to protect myself, I constructed this safe heaven, and most of the people trying to get help without going through the hospital know that they will get the help here, but in exchange, they have to protect this place from other criminals.”

“Dad must be delighted to know you’re also dealing in those kinds of things,” sarcastically said Illidan.

“He died, about ten years ago. I hadn’t graduated yet.”

Illidan opened his eyes wide at that information. He had no idea that it had happened, and Malfurion was saying it without an ounce of sadness or anything resembling of love in his voice.

“Well!” suddenly said Malfurion, changing the subject. “Your friend – Maiev right? – is only resting. If you want to go and see her, you can.”

Understanding that his brother was dismissing him, Illidan got up and slowly went to the room that was locked by the curtains. Slowly, he pushed them away to enter the place, and he had a faint smile as he saw Maiev, looking better than earlier that day, with her chest slowly rising up and down with calm breathing. Discreetly, he reached the bed and just looked at her, but, as a strand of hair was falling across her face, he gently pushed it away, and Maiev opened her eyes.

“I’m going to kill you,” she whispered, trying to sound threatening.

“I know, I know,” he simply replied, still smiling.

She sighed out of frustration and closed her eyes again, a faint groan coming from her throat. But Illidan didn’t care. All that mattered to him, was to know that she was alright and that she would live. Gently, he grabbed her hand and caressed it with a comforting pace.

“Listen Maiev, I need you to believe me. I don’t want to kill you,” he said, carefully avoiding saying “anymore”. “But I swear to you that I’ll find the one who is responsible for that injury, and I’ll bring them on their knees in front of you so you can blow up their brain.”

“I’ll blow up your brain,” she groaned as she looked at him again.

He chuckled.

“Come on, you need to rest. Keep your anger for later.”

And with those words, he brought a hand to her face and gently cupped it, his thumb brushing over her cheek, and finally, he leaned down and his lips met with hers. He kissed her, for what seemed an eternity to him, and yet, he didn’t want it to stop. But as he felt her hand grasping on him, he left her face.

“I’ll protect you,” he whispered as he moved away from her.

And before she could react, he was out of the improvised room.

The way back to her home was quiet. Illidan was driving, carefully taking all of his time and getting into traffic to avoid being followed, and Maiev was sitting on the passenger seat, not saying a word. Almost twenty hours before, Sira would interrupt them and the evening would escalate to a hellish nightmare, and yet, it seemed so far away now.

Malfurion had been forced to throw them out of his personal hospital, explaining to them that it was for their security and that usually, he wasn’t keeping a patient more than a few hours, unless they really needed more treatments, but as Maiev had been stitched and left with medicine to help stabilize her state, he had no remorse getting them out for their own good. And now, they only needed to go back to her home and decide on the next step.

“I had no idea you had a brother,” finally said Maiev, breaking the silence between them as she kept looking outside the windows.

“Yeah, I did everything I could to cut all ties with him. For his safety.”

Illidan’s grasp on the wheel strengthened as he took a deep breath.

“My father throw me out of the house when I was like… sixteen. He… He wasn’t the kind of father who would get a mug saying he’s the best in the world on Father’s Day. And that’s a euphemism,” he said with a hollow chuckle as his lips nervously twitched. “He lived vicariously through me and my brother, wanting us to obey him constantly, and getting the life he had planned for us. He wanted us to become both eminent doctors that would bring him a lot of money and fame…”

Illidan stopped the car to let a pedestrian cross the street.

“Malfurion decided to do everything he could to appease him and was exemplary, studying really hard to become that doctor and honestly… I can’t blame him. Our father already had some problems with me at that point, so he did what he could so he doesn’t change his target,” he explained as he started the car again. “I was rebelling as much as I could, no matter how much it was costing me. I gave up school; I gave up whatever sport he wanted me to do; I gave up on my own family.”

He activated the turn signal as he pretended they were leaving the city.

“I could have left the house by myself long ago. I wanted to do it. But as long as I was there, my father would be concentrated on me, and not Malf… So, I stayed. Finally, he had enough of my antics and… he just threw me out. I couldn’t even take anything from the house. I stepped in, and before I could realize, he had grabbed me and physically threw me out.”

Maiev could hear his throat drying as he fought back the tears.

“I had to run away, there was nothing else that I could do. Thankfully, I already had some friends at that time, those who would become my own lieutenants, the first Illidari,” he smiled at that thought and Maiev mimicked him. “It took us only a month to decide to create our own gang, and by the end of the month, I went back to my house. I waited for my father to be out, and I sneaked through the garden to find Malfurion. I told him that I was going to rule over this city and become a crime lord, but that I didn’t want him to suffer from it. So, I promised him that he would never hear from me ever again and that no one would even know that we are brother. After that, I succeeded to get my hands on every single file about me and erased everything. I only kept my first name, and for about fifteen years, I hadn’t spoken a single word to him. Like I promised.”

After that, he became silent. Maiev glanced at her waist, realizing that if it hadn’t been for her, Illidan wouldn’t have spoken to his brother ever again. She wasn’t even sure that if he was the one dying, that he would have broken his promise and ask for his brother’s help. But at least, it was explaining why it had seemed that Illidan and the Illidari had popped out in existence from seemingly nowhere.

“So… Illidan Stormrage?” she asked him.

“That’s my name,” he simply replied.

“It fits you,” she smiled. “You know, I always thought that there was a strange resemblance between you and that doctor, but I would have never gone to say that you were twins.”

“I also worked on changing my appearance so it would be less obvious.”

Maiev looked once again through the windows, looking at the familiar buildings as they were finally heading towards her home, now that Illidan was sure they hadn’t been followed.

“I also have a brother,” she said, not looking away from the windows. “He doesn’t live here but he visits from times to times. He’s nice, but he doesn’t know that I’m the boss of a mafia… He thinks I simply retired earlier than anyone and that I’m leaving a calm little life… You could meet him next time, I think he would like you.”

Illidan chuckled a little.

“It’ll be with pleasure.”

Finally, he turned to get the car in front of the house, getting inside the garage immediately to hide them from any passerby. As soon as he had stopped the engine, he jumped out of the car and went around to help Maiev out of it. She was still holding her waist, as the pain was still there, and whispered a “thank you” as he closed the door behind her. Then, he grabbed her around the shoulders, and help her to go back inside the main house. Maiev said nothing but she was feeling weird to be so close to him. Of course, she hadn’t forgotten the kiss that he gave her the night before, but he was acting as if nothing happened, and it was driving her crazy.

“I’m going to see what I can get us for dinner,” he told her as he helped her to sit on the couch. “I hope there’s something left, other than instant noodles.”

“I will kill for instant noodles,” she groaned.

“My culinary talents are offended, but I’ll take note of your suggestion.”

Then, he went to the kitchen. He immediately frowned as he saw the mess that they left from the day before. The food had already rotten on the plates, and when Maiev hit the table, drinks got spilled both on the table and on the floor. With a quick look, he noticed that the pans that he had used were still on the hob, and clearly not clean. He groaned and went to the cupboard to grab two cups of instant noodles, and put some water to boil in the kettle. As it was getting prepared, he began to clean the kitchen. Only to be interrupted as he heard Maiev stepping in the room.

“Well, finally you will get your instant noodles,” he said not even turning to see her. “I can’t really cook in those conditions.”

“What the fuck are you playing?” she asked, leaning against the door frame. “You think I don’t remember what you did?”

“Maiev, I already told you that I wasn’t the one that tried to kill you and –”

“I know. You proved it enough already. But if you plan to not be honest with me, you can leave right now.”

“I told you that the Illidari went in hiding as I asked them to; I haven’t spoken to Kael in weeks; I’m not trying to kill you. What else do you want me to be honest with?”

“You perfectly know it bastard!”

And she turned away to go back to the living-room. Illidan still had no idea what she was talking about and thus, followed her, well decided to find answers. She was already sitting back on the couch, hissing at she moved her body.

“Maiev, I’m sorry, but I really don’t understand what you are talking about,” he said, getting in front of her.

“You really thought I wouldn’t remember?! I wasn’t unconscious when you visited me last night,” she growled.

And it hit Illidan. The kiss.

He growled out loud as he put his face into his hands. Last night, he had gone through so many emotions in so little time that in the end, it felt like a dream. He was talking to his brother normally, and Maiev had been saved from his negligence. Yet, when he saw her, alive and well, it could have just been a dream to cope with the fact that she had died, and he didn’t even think before kissing her. And until she pointed it, he would have believed it had all been a dream.

“Sorry… It’s just that… Last night, I thought that I was going to lose you, that in the end, I killed you. I know that I wasn’t the one to shoot you, but it was all my fault. If I hadn’t been shot… If I hadn’t come here to get your help… You wouldn’t have been shot,” he said as he crouched, gently putting a hand over her injury. “And even then... I completely failed to take care of you the first time, and if I hadn’t pushed you away last night… It would have been all my fault.”

He slowly looked up at her teary face.

“I don’t want to lose you. I realized that we were more similar than anyone else, and we know what kind of lives we are going through. I need you. More than I ever thought. I would dismantle the Illidari if it meant that I could spend the rest of my life with you.”

Maiev was shaking and almost crying.

“Get out,” she finally said. “Get out of my house.”

“Maiev?”

“Get out before I do something that I will regret.”

He only smiled, and slowly, he got up, reaching her face, and before he could do anything, she was the one kissing him. Grabbing his jaws, she brought him closer and he almost fell on her, but he grabbed the couch before and avoided the crash. They kept kissing, and soon, he had his legs on the couch, surroundings Maiev, and they were chest against chest. Her hands were already walking all around his body, going under the unbuttoned shirt, and Illidan kept trying to get closer to her, his legs straddling hers while his hands slowly went down her body. But as he felt the bandage under his fingers, he stopped.

“Sorry Maiev, not yet,” he whispered on her lips. “I need to calm down a little.”

“Why?”

“I don’t really want to call my brother again because I reopened the wound by loving you too much,” he said, in a husky tone right in her ear that made her shiver.

“And I’ll send you back to your brother if you don’t keep that promise,” she replied.

“I never break my promises. Usually,” he quickly added as he laughed.

She slowly opened her eyes. Illidan was still sleeping under her, his chest rising peacefully under her head, and it made her smile. Until now, she had never realized how much she needed someone with her, someone that could understand her and love her. And yet, it was probably the most unlikely man that gave her that. She should have never loved Illidan, and even less like that, and still, she was in his arms and feeling happy.

As she moved a little, he unconsciously strengthened his hold to keep her in his arms and she laughed as she put a light kiss on his lips. He smiled and moved them to be able to bury his face in her neck, and Maiev caressed his hair, gently playing with it.

“Illidan, are you awake?”

“Just woke up,” he muttered, his voice muffled by her skin.

“What do we do now?”

“I could either go get us breakfast that we could eat in bed. Or if you’re up to it, I could keep showing you how great I am in bed,” he said while grinning, hugging her a little more.

“I wasn’t talking about now, now,” she sighed. “But about our little problem with that mysterious shooter.”

“Oh that…” he growled.

He sat, taking Maiev with him so she would stay in his arms, and he looked around, trying to think about it.

“We need to get rid of them. And anyone that would try to kill us again.”

“I agree.”

“We know where they operate… I could get us the plan of the building through Kael’thas, he has access to those files.”

“And I will ask Cordana for all the reports of the zone,” added Maiev. “We need to be prepared.”

“I couldn’t have said it better myself,” chuckled Illidan. “Do we take some Illidari and Wardens with us?”

Maiev looked at the ceiling, humming as she thought about it.

“I don’t think it will be a good idea. We aren’t sure they will accept to work together, especially that I know a few Wardens that would shoot you just because you touched me, no matter what I have to say on the matter. And honestly, it had become personal, I want to kill them all on my own.”

“Understandable,” nodded Illidan. “And honestly, I have no doubts we could do it alone.”

“Alright, I’m calling Cordana,” said Maiev, getting out of his embrace as she reached for her phone.

But Illidan quickly stopped her.

“Not yet,” he said as he took the phone from her. “You just got operated, we won’t do anything until I’m sure that you won’t risk your life. And like that, we can be sure that our plan is perfect.”

Maiev groaned as she looked at him.

“Why do you have to be right constantly?”

“Because I care about you,” he smiled as he kissed her.

The street was desert, not even a stray cat to be seen, and Maiev parked the car, uneasy. At her side, Illidan grabbed her hand and intertwined their fingers together, with a reassuring smile. They had waited one more week to prepare the attack, to be sure they would be the sole survivors to get out of that building, but mostly, they wanted to be sure that Maiev was safe first. She was now able to walk, run, and drive without writhing in pain every two steps, and she even tried to shoot against cardboard targets, and it went really well.

They were ready to take their revenge.

After they had carefully studied the building’s plan, that they got thanks to Kael’thas who didn’t even ask why Illidan needed it, they knew how they would proceed. Maiev even succeeded to get Cordana to help them, as she would send cops to finish cleaning the building, helping Maiev and Illidan, why they would sneak away, covered by the commissioner in person. Their plan was perfect and they were going to show to that gang who was really ruling over the city.

“Here, take this,” Maiev said as she threw a flashlight to Illidan. “We know they like to play with the light, so use it to not be stuck in the dark, and also to blind them.”

“Thanks,” he grinned. “I will love to give them a taste of their own medicine.”

“Let’s go! Cordana will intervene in about fifteen minutes, we need to have started the shooting by then.”

Illidan simply nodded as he put the magazine in his gun, ready to fire it at any moment, and he told Maiev to go first as he moved his head towards the direction of the building. She quickly checked her own guns, and her belt full of knives, before nodding in agreement, and she began to walk, staying in the shadows to not get caught, Illidan right behind her. Knowing that passing by the parking lot was dangerous, they went around to escalate the wall surrounding the area, helping each other and soon, they broke a back door open, and entered the building.

“Go first,” whispered Maiev. “You were the one to study the plans.”

Illidan bypassed her without a word, lighting the flashlight, as he kept his gun in front of him, ready to react if they came to meet anyone on their way. But as they walked through the hallways, they knew they were on the right path, but also that something weird was going on. Like expected, the building wasn’t abandoned and was completely livable, and looking extremely great with how it had been designed. From the exterior, you would have never noticed that people could live in there, kind of the improvised hospital that Malfurion was owning. But strangely, there was no one in sight.

Not a single footstep, but their own, was heard. The building was lighted up, but they found no one in the different rooms. Not a single voice, nor whispers were audible. And it was getting on Illidan’s nerves. There was no way that they were completely alone. They even had confirmation that suspicious activities had been detected in that place, so how could it be that they were finding nothing? Barely anyone knew about their attack on the place, but for two trusted allies. But could it be that it had been actually a trap?

At that thought, sweat dripped along his back. After all, ever since it had started, it had all been a trap every time. He got shot in a trap. Maiev got shot in another trap. It was all one big trap set to get rid of them, and unfortunately, he had to realize it too late. But he barely got to voice his concern.

The lights went off.

“Illidan!”

He turned around, to face Maiev who had called his name.

She had her gun up, ready to fire, and her flashlight was blinding him.

He heard the gunshot.

He felt the pain in his chest.

And everything went black.

The room was silent, but for the machines slowly beeping, announcing that everything was alright. The flower bouquet on the nightstand, the only spot of colors in the white room, was already withering. A faint gust of wind was slowly blowing away the curtain. And yet, Illidan wasn’t reacting at all.

In the hallway, looking at the unconscious man lying in bed and plugged to all the different machines that were keeping him alive, another man sighed. But as he thought of turning away, another one reached him.

“Hello, I’m Velen, the new director of this hospital,” said the newcomer, reaching his hand. “I heard you asked about me?”

“Oh hello, yes. Khadgar, inspector. I just got transferred to the city,” the other man replied, taking the hand and shaking it. “I had a question about this man.”

With those words, he showed Illidan with his thumb through the windows from the hallway.

“Oh, him. It’s quite a particular case inspector. He got there before I got assigned to the hospital. His name is Illidan and he was the leader of the Illidari, a daunting mafia ruling over the city,” explained Velen. “He was brought here one night, already in a comatose state and obviously, the former director decided that we had to take care of him anyway, so we saved his life. Since, we get a generous, but anonymous, donation every month to keep him alive.”

“And that mafia that you are talking about?”

“Disappeared as soon as he got there, we haven’t heard of them since. But they weren’t alone, and I think that the new commissioner is already after them?”

“Yes, Commissioner Archimonde already told me everything I had to know about the Wardens, that’s also why I’ve been transferred here,” replied Khadgar, not taking his eyes off the unconscious man. “From what I heard, Mayor Kil’jaeden is really adamant about taking them out.”

“They are, indeed,” Velen said, faking a smile. “By the way, could you give them my regards? I haven’t seen my friends a lot since we got those new jobs.”

“I’ll do,” Khadgar smiled.

And Velen left the hallway, leaving Khadgar alone with his thoughts. He had no doubt that this new case was going to be a lot of fun to resolve, especially that he had cards in hands that some people were unaware of. Smiling, he took his phone and dialed a number on it, then waited for the interlocutor to pick up.

“Mayor Whisperwind, I’m in and I have a better overview of what happened now.”

“Do not disappoint me Khadgar, that’s all I ask you.”

“Do not worry, I know what I’m doing.”

The game was on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, sorry for that kind of ending x) But I might pick it up again in 2021, it's just that I had to stop somewhere before writing an entire novel.
> 
> \----  
> I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> Unfortunately, English isn't my first language so if someone is interested in becoming my beta-reader for the language, hit me up on my Tumblr!  
> Or if you just want to talk about WoW, my fics, someone else fics, or anything, you can still hit me up there!
> 
> https://thewritingof-therose.tumblr.com/
> 
> or on Discord
> 
> https://discord.gg/nvKggwc (An Illidan/Maiev Discord)
> 
> Later!
> 
> (Comments are welcomed and appreciated :D)

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this first part! The second one is already up ;)


End file.
